Changes have to be made – and Gatland should act now so he can see if they work
WARREN Gatland has not had to wait too long to discover the size of the task he faces in his second stint as Wales coach.
Saturday was a bad day for him and his players, whatever Gatland says about not being too disappointed with the performance against Ireland. Had Andy Farrell’s team kept their boot on Welsh throats, the margin of defeat could have been much wider.
Ireland didn’t do that and were a shade disappointed afterwards.
But I thought they were superb in that first half, in particular, the way they drove into contact with the man in possession always supported by team-mates and weight being lent to generate extra impetus.
They have a pack full of ball-carriers and were able to exert huge pressure on the Wales defence.
By contrast, Welsh players were frequently isolated, with one-up runners easy prey for Irish tacklers.
Ireland had a mastery of the basics, Wales didn’t.
I watched a video clip the other night of my grandson playing for Pontypool U15s. They were doing what should be done, with the ball carrier receiving the help of his team-mates as he drove into the opposition.
If it can be done at that level, you wonder why Wales players are not doing it.
My old coach at Pontypool, Ray Prosser, used to say he didn’t want us just to win the ball: he also wanted us to win the ground beyond the ball. Pross used to demand that we drive the opposition off the rucks with the ball left at the back “like a chicken lays an egg”.
Ireland were doing that and all their scrum-half Conor Murray had to do was whip possession away.
I found it disappointing from a Welsh perspective. Gatland now has to decide how many changes to make for the game with Scotland this weekend as he looks to right the wrongs. I hope he is bold.
But, really, the experimenting should have taken place way before this. It may be too late now.
I certainly hope there’s more attention to the basics, because Wales won’t win at Murrayfield if their forwards play as they did against Ireland.
What would my team be? I’d be quite radical, making eight changes, one of them positional.
My back three would be Liam Williams, Alex Cuthbert and Josh Adams. A lot of people talked up Rio Dyer after the game with Ireland and he did try things, but I thought there were areas where he could have done better.
He should have scored after hacking ahead in the first quarter and he could have done more with that stray Irish pass that offered the opportunity of an interception try.
Had Louis Rees-Zammit been playing, he would have had two or three tries. Injury is ruling him out, so I’d bring back Cuthbert, a physically imposing player who has vast experience and could be used to mark the dangerous Duhan van der Merwe.
I’d try something different at outside centre. When George North first came on the scene people were likening him to Jonah Lomu, but I’m not sure he’s consistently played to his full potential.
Gatland has a couple of decent alternatives in Nick Tompkins and Mason Grady, a youngster who has real promise.
For this game, I’d go with Tompkins because he’s been around longer and Grady is still a shade young for an assignment that has the potential to prove daunting.
Joe Hawkins has taken to Test rugby well and did enough to keep his spot at inside centre, while Owen Williams didn’t really take his chance at fly-half after he appeared as a replacement. So, with reservations after he made a few mistakes against Ireland, I’d also retain Dan Biggar, who offers leadership.
My pick at scrum-half would be Rhys Webb, a player who deserves an opportunity. I felt a bit sorry for Tomos Williams as he had a lot of rubbish ball to deal with against Ireland.
While Murray was flicking the ball away quickly, Williams had no such platform and didn’t find it easy.
When Webb came on he added something.
Gareth Thomas and Ken Owens are the best options available to Gatland in their positions in his squad right now, but at tighthead prop the coach may have to change amid an injury to Tomas Francis. The obvious answer is Dillon Lewis. I’m still not sure about his scrummaging but he seems to have improved and in other areas he’s top notch.
My locks would be Dafydd Jenkins and Rhys Davies, two young players who look to have what it takes. Jenkins is so highly rated at Exeter Chiefs that they’ve made him captain, while Davies has shown himself to be a physical specimen at the Ospreys.
Alun Wyn Jones is out of the equation after picking up a head knock, while I’d leave Adam Beard out. He’s a player who’s been around for a while and that is important, but, for me, he’s not offering enough, particularly as a ball carrier.
Maybe leaving him out would fire him up again.
It worked a couple of years ago and prompted him to battle his way back under Wayne Pivac. It could happen again with Gatland heading towards the World Cup.
Whatever, for me the two younger locks is the way to go for the time being at least. Let’s see how they stand up to the Murrayfield challenge.
A lot of people liked the look of Wales’s back row when it was selected. But the best breakaway units have balance and I feel Gatland needs to look again at the trio he fields.
There are not enough big ballcarriers in the Welsh pack and the evidence from Exeter is that Christ Tshiunza can take play forward.
At 6ft 6in, he’s also a more than useful lineout option. He wears the looks of a very promising player and it would be a statement of intent to name him as a starter.
Justin Tipuric didn’t have his best game against Ireland, so I’d move Jac Morgan to his preferred position of openside flanker, perhaps with Tommy Reffell on the bench, while Taulupe Faletau, despite being uncharacteristically indisciplined against Ireland, remains head and shoulders above the competition at No. 8.
Yes, there are a lot of changes there, but Gatland was conservative with his selection against Ireland, heavily relying upon experience, and it didn’t work. Something different is required if Wales are to get back to winning ways.
Wales are going to be underdogs again, and another defeat would deepen their worries ahead of meeting England in round three. The challenge for them is to go back to the basics, particularly up front, and make sure they are executed properly.
The changes I propose would shake things up. Maybe that’s what is needed, because recent displays haven’t been good enough, not by a long chalk.